The Ugly Stick
by Stephanie18
Summary: You know the expression about the ugly stick? Well...


The Ugly Stick  
  
  
  
  
The sisters had just vanquished an especially nasty demon and were walking home.  
"That was one nasty demon." Phoebe commented brushing off her shirt. During the fight with the demon it somehow got dirty.  
"Yeah, but what was with that gray orb that hovered over his shoulder?" Piper asked.  
"I dunno. It went away when we vanquished the demon, but it's still...weird." Prue said.  
Suddenly, as they were passing an alleyway a man jumped out in front of them. He was wearing a long, gray robe that had a hood. Only one of his eyes was visible because of the hood, and he was carrying a stick that was like a baseball bat, long on one end and sort of fat on the other. It really seemed like more of a knobbly cane though.  
"Whoa!" Phoebe exclaimed.  
The man just grinned and hit Phoebe on the arm with the stick and then changed into the gray orb and it disappeared.  
"Oh, Phoebe, are you alright?" Piper asked.  
Phoebe put her hand over where the stick hit and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. it just stings a little."  
They went home as fast as they could and Phoebe insisted that she was fine even though her sisters didn't believe her.  
"I'm fine...I swear." Phoebe told them. "Now I'm going to bed...and for the last time, I'm fine."  
Phoebe went off to bed, even though her sisters were still worried, but they eventually went to bed too. They figured that if she was sure she was fine, they shouldn't worry...even though they did.  
  
  
The next morning, Phoebe got dressed and went down to the kitchen for breakfast.  
"Ouch." Phoebe mumbled and grabbed her arm.  
"See, you're not alright." Piper said and got up from the table.  
"I am, I'm fine." Phoebe lied. It really did sting though.  
"Move your hand." Piper ordered. Phoebe sighed and moved her hand from the spot on her arm.  
"Oh my God." Phoebe breathed. There was a large welt or blister or giant wart on her arm.  
"That is not fine." Piper said. "What is that?"  
"I-I don't know." Phoebe said. They both just stared at it.  
"Good...morning?" Prue said as she came into the kitchen and noticed the staring scene. "What's up?"  
"Phoebe has something on her arm." Piper said. "Show her."  
Phoebe rolled her eyes and showed her arm to Prue.  
"Isn't that where the demon hit you?" Prue asked taking hold of Phoebe's arm and looking at the welt.  
"Yeah...do you think it has to do with him?" Phoebe asked.  
"I don't know, but we should check the Book." Prue said.  
"I can't. I've got a job interview." Phoebe said and left the kitchen with her sisters right behind.  
"What are you going to do?" Piper asked.  
"First put on a long sleeved shirt. I'm not letting anyone look at this thing." Phoebe said and continued upstairs. Piper and Prue exchanged worried glances.  
  
Phoebe went to the interview and waited in the lobby. She admired the room and got up to check her hair. While looking in the mirror, she noticed she had a gigantic blemish on her chin.  
"Oh my God." Phoebe breathed.  
"Mr. Chansen will see you now." The secretary called to Phoebe.  
Phoebe put her hand over her chin and said, "Uh, could you tell him that I had a, uh, family emergency?"  
With that, Phoebe rushed out of the office and drove as quickly as she could back to the manor.  
  
"Problem!" Phoebe called as she walked into the manor. She got no answer.  
"Figures." She mumbled and walked upstairs. She heard talking in the attic and walked in.  
"Oh hey Pheebs." Piper said as she read the Book with Prue. "Back so soon?"  
"Only because I got a giant zit." Phoebe said and moved her hand.  
Prue looked up.  
"Whoaaa-I mean, that's not so bad." Prue said and smiled a little.  
"Not so bad?" Phoebe asked. "It's horrible. You can see it from all the way across the room."  
"I just happen to have...excellent vision." Prue offered.  
"Yeah, whatever." Phoebe mumbled and sat down.  
"Aw Pheebs, it isn't so bad." Piper said wand walked over. "It's only-oh my God, what is that?"  
"What now?" Phoebe groaned.  
"You just, um, have something on your forehead...that's all." Piper said.  
"What's wrong with me?" Phoebe asked.  
"Nothing Phoebe...you're probably just...having an allergic reaction to something." Prue offered.  
"Yeah, right." Phoebe said and left the attic.  
"What do you think?" Piper asked.  
"I may have an idea, but it's too soon to tell." Prue said and shut the Book. "Come on, I think she needs some cheering up."  
They walked to Phoebe's room and knocked on the door.  
"Pheebs, do you want any company?" Piper asked.  
"No," Phoebe answered. "I just want to be left alone."  
Prue and Piper looked at each other then went downstairs.  
  
  
Later that night, around nine, a loud screech was heard from Phoebe's room. Prue and Piper exchanged quick glances, then raced upstairs.  
"It's locked." Piper said fumbling with the doorknob.  
Piper stepped back and Prue used her power. The door slammed open and they walked in. Phoebe was just sitting on the edge of her bed crying. All of the lights were out and the blinds were closed. The room was almost pitch black. If it wasn't for the moon, the room would have almost no light at all.  
"Pheebs, are you alright?" Piper asked stepping more in the room.  
Phoebe turned away and said, "Don't come in. Don't look at me."  
"Phoebe, what's wrong?" Prue asked following Piper.  
"I don't know." Phoebe said. "Something is wrong with me...I-I look horrible."  
"Phoebe, you can't look that bad." Piper said and sat near Phoebe.  
"No, don't!" Phoebe exclaimed and got up.  
Prue got a concerned and confused look on her face. She lifted her hand.  
"No lights." Phoebe said.  
Prue flicked her wrist and the light turned on. Both Piper and Prue were shocked.  
"I told you!" Phoebe screamed. "I look horrible!"  
Phoebe's face was covered in welts, blisters, and warts. Her face had also gotten puffier.  
"You don't-" Piper began, but Phoebe ran from the room.  
"Let her go." Prue said and grabbed Piper's arm as she went to the door. "We have to go to the Book. Now I'm sure I know what it is."  
Piper just nodded and went to the attic.  
"Are you sure? It's crazy." Piper said. "It's just an expression." Piper paced back and forth as Prue flipped and read through the Book.  
"It may be just an expression, but, well, it isn't." Prue said. "Phoebe really did get hit by one...by that demon."  
"I still don't know." Piper said skeptically. "Getting hit by an Ugly Stick? it just seems so-"  
"Found it!" Prue interrupted.  
"You're kidding." Piper said and stood next to Prue.  
"Nope." Prue said. Then she began to read from the Book. "Misfus, the demon of misfortune. He carries a magical staff that bestows misfortune on anyone that it touches. The person may inherit extreme features, love loss, money loss, most basic loss, and in severe cases if not treated...death."  
"So, if we don't treat Phoebe, she..." Piper said her voice trailing.  
"Yeah." Prue said grimly. "We have to make the cure."  
"What is it?" Piper asked.  
"Well, Phoebe got extreme features...she was hit with the Ugly Stick, so we have to hit her again." Prue said.  
"Like when someone gets hit on the head and loses their memory, and they get hit again and get it back?" Piper asked.  
"Exactly. Only, instead of the Ugly Stick, we've got to hit Phoebe with ...a Pretty Stick." Prue said.  
"You're kidding." Piper said.  
"I wish, but it's what the Book says." Prue told her.  
"So, how do we make a Pretty Stick?" Piper asked.  
"The Book says just get a regular stick and then we put all these different ingredients around it, then we take one of Phoebe's hairs and wrap it around the stick and then we...put the stick in the oven." Prue said.  
"The oven?" Piper asked.  
"Apparently the heat helps the magic." Prue shrugged.  
"I'll get the stick and the hair, you grab the ingredients." Piper said.  
Prue agreed and they were off.  
  
  
Around ten-thirty, Prue and Piper had convinced Phoebe that it would work. Phoebe doubted it and said that she'd had to wear a black vale forever.  
"Phoebe, it'll work." Piper said and opened the oven.  
Prue put on an oven mit and pulled the cookie sheet out.  
"I still don't see how a baked stick is going to help me." Phoebe mumbled. She had a towel wrapped around her face so that only her eyes were showing and she still had on the long sleeved shirt.  
"It isn't a baked stick." Prue said and picked it up. "It's a Pretty Stick."  
Phoebe sighed and said, "Whatever. Just get it over with. I want to get back to the dark recesses of my room."  
Prue gave Phoebe an exasperated look and said, "Roll up your sleeve. The Book says hit where you were first hit."  
"I hope this works." Phoebe mumbled.  
"Uh, think pretty thoughts." Prue said and smacked her sister on the arm with the Pretty Stick.  
"Ow!" Phoebe exclaimed.  
"Did it work?" Piper asked.  
Immediately, all the blemishes on Phoebe's arm disappeared. Phoebe rolled up her other sleeve and saw they were all gone too.  
"Okay, the moment of truth." Phoebe said and removed the towel from her face. "Well?"  
"It's worse than we thought." Prue said.  
"What? What?" Phoebe asked worried.  
"You've-you've...you've turned back to normal!" Prue exclaimed.  
Phoebe picked up the Pretty Stick and was going to hit Prue, but Piper grabbed her wrist.  
"Hey. That's how we got into this mess." Piper said.  
They all laughed and Phoebe broke the Pretty Stick in two.  
"What abut the demon?" Phoebe asked.  
"He, unfortunately, skipped plane." Prue said. "I read in the Book that whenever he dishes out misfortune, he leaves the plane."  
"Oh well. We'll just have to vanquish him next time." Phoebe said.  
"Yeah." Prue agreed. "Now, let's go watch some TV...nevermind. There are too many beautiful people on TV."  
They all smiled and went upstairs.  
  
THE END  
  
I don't know whre I got this idea...oh wait, I do. It was a convo with Jessica and well, the idea just happened. =) 


End file.
